Luxaire age lookup

How to read a Luxaire serial number

Type the serial number from the data plate and the decoder shows when your Luxaire unit was made. Below that: every Luxaire format the decoder knows, and a real plate from one of my inspections.

Accuracy is not guaranteed.

This decoder gives an estimate based on how brands have coded serial numbers in the past. Manufacturers change their formats, and a serial can be misread, so the results may be wrong. Use them as a starting point only. Confirm with the date printed on the plate or with the manufacturer.

Reading a Luxaire serial number

Luxaire is made by Johnson Controls, the company behind York and Coleman, and newer Luxaire serials read the same way as York's. In a 10-character serial like W1N2359791, the second and fourth characters are the year (12) and the third is the month letter (N is December). Older Luxaire units used several formats, including some that are all numbers, and the decoder checks each one.

Data plate on a Luxaire furnace, serial number W1N2359791 outlined in red
Luxaire furnace plate from one of my inspections. The outlined serial reads as December 2012. The plate doesn't print the Luxaire name. That's on the cabinet. York and Coleman furnace plates look the same.

Many Luxaire furnace plates, like the one in the photo, print the model and serial but not the brand. Look for the Luxaire name on the cabinet door. Luxaire, York and Coleman furnaces can carry the same model number, such as TG8S.

Luxaire serial number formats

Each format below has a made-up example split into its parts, so you can match it to your own serial.

  1. 10 characters: a letter, a digit, a letter, then 7 digits (October 2004 and later)

    ExampleN1C8123456: Factory N, Year 1, Month C, Year 8, Unit number 123456.

    Reads as March 2018. Used from 2004 to today.

    • The year is split around the month letter: the 2nd and 4th characters together make the 2-digit year.

  2. 10 characters: 4 letters, then 6 digits (1971 to 2004)

    ExampleNDGM123456: Factory N, Month D, Year G, Type M, Unit number 123456.

    Reads as April 1977 or 1998. Used from 1971 to 2004.

    • Letters A through N were used twice, about 21 years apart, so a serial can fit two years. The look of the unit usually settles it.

  3. 8 characters: 2 letters, then 6 digits

    ExampleCR123456: Month C, Year R, Unit number 123456.

    Reads as March 1985. Used from 1971 to 2004.

    • Letters A through N were used twice, about 21 years apart, so a serial can fit two years.

  4. 8 digits, all numbers

    Example95081234: Year 95, Month 08, Unit number 1234.

    Reads as August 1995. Used from 1970 to 2010.

  5. 10 digits, all numbers (before 1992)

    Example1185123456: Month 11, Year 85, Unit number 123456.

    Reads as November 1985. Used from 1960 to 1991.

    • Month comes first in this style.

Where to find the serial number on a Luxaire unit

Look for a metal tag or sticker marked Serial, Serial No. or S/N. The model number is usually right next to it, so check which one you're reading.

  • Furnace. On the cabinet, often on the inside of the front door or on a side panel. Some doors lift off by hand. If a door needs a tool to open, leave it closed.
  • Outdoor unit (air conditioner or heat pump). On the side or back of the cabinet, often near where the electrical lines come in. Do not open the electrical cover to read it.
  • Air handler. On the cabinet, usually near the front panel.

These brands share at least one serial number format with Luxaire, so their serials read the same way.

Another brand? Use the HVAC serial number decoder for all 20 brands.

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